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Regrets
Blair was signing the paperwork from their latest case when the door to Captain Simon Banks' office opened wide and the usual bellow reached their ears. "Ellison! Sandburg! My office!" The two partners glanced at each other trying to figure out what they'd done recently to deserve God's -- or at least Simon's -- wrath, then shrugged and rose to answer the summons. "You called, Simon?" Jim queried, as both he and Blair took their places leaning against the conference table side by side. "Jim, have you finished the report on the Trodat case yet?" Ellison handed Banks a file, "Signed, sealed and delivered. We were reviewing it when you called." "Great," Simon turned his attention to the young man. "Sandburg, I assume you're still living at the loft?" The other two exchanged confused glances. Simon knew more than well Blair still lived there with Jim. "Uh, yeah," Blair answered nevertheless. "Good, good... And I'm sure you still remember the address. Am I correct?" "Yeah." "Then why do I keep receiving mail sent to the station with your name on it, Mr. Blair Sandburg?" "Still trying to impress the girls by giving them this address, Chief?" Jim teased, but Blair could hear the seriousness and the warning behind the banter. "Hey, man! I haven't given this address to anyone in months! And it's not like I'm going to impress anyone by telling them I'm a cop!" he joked back, his own warning just as clear. No more women between them. "I mean, just look at you guys, you tell everyone you're cops and you can't get anyone to go out with you. Maybe I should give you two a few pointers or something," Blair grinned. "Yeah, right!" Simon snorted. "Here." Blair accepted the envelope Banks extended in his direction. He examined it carefully noting there was no sender address. The stamp stated it came from some place called Wolf Point. "I don't know anyone in Wolf Point," Blair muttered. "I don't even know where in the hell Wolf Point is!" Opening the letter he read it to himself, his face turning suddenly pale, "Oh, my God!..." "Chief, you okay?" Without a word, Blair handed the sheet of paper to Jim, who read it aloud for both his own, and Simon's benefit. "Dear Blair, I don't exactly know how to begin this, but I guess I should start by telling you who I am. My name is Anna Sandburg and I'm your grandmother. I don't know if, or what Naomi told you about me and your grandfather, but I'm sure either way you'll be surprised to receive this letter. I've been trying to contact your mother for over two months without any success. I found out through some friends of hers that you work with the Cascade PD, so I decided to chance it and send this there. I only pray it reaches your hands soon. I'd like you and Naomi both to come and visit us. Your grandfather is terminally ill and has less than a month to live. I think it's about time he got to know his grandson and make peace with his daughter. He needs this closure, we all do. I do hope you come. We can't change the past, but maybe we can do something about the future. I'm counting on you.
Love,
101 U.S. Hwy 2 After an uncomfortable silence, Jim placed his hand gently on Blair's shoulder, "Blair? Are you okay?" "Yeah, yeah..." he breathed softly. "I guess it was the shock. I wasn't expecting to hear from them, not after so long," the young man replied somewhat wearily. "Are you going?" Blair took a deep breath, letting the conference table hold all of his weight up, "I'm not sure. Naomi told me they threw her out when they found out she was pregnant. But..." "But?" Simon echoed, and watched as Blair shrugged. "I... I want to meet them, to know why. If I don't go I'll only wonder, I'll always regret it. For better or worse, they are family. And if he's dying... I don't know why, but I have to go." "And Naomi?" Jim prompted. "She called a couple days ago from somewhere in Brazil. Said she was going to the Amazon with some friends and wanted to let me know she'd be unreachable for the next month or so." "Next month or so? But by then..." Simon began. "She might be too late, my grandfather might already be dead," Blair interjected softly. "I know, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'll leave messages with every friend she has there, but I'm not going to wait." Jim nodded, "Okay, that's settled then. I have a couple weeks vacation coming, so I'll take them now. That is, if that's okay with you, Simon?" The black man leaned back on his chair, "Yeah, it's okay. Trodat's case is closed. I can assign any new cases to other detectives. Things have been kind of slow, so it won't be too bad." Blair turned to his partner, seeming somewhat surprised, "You want to go with me?" "Of course, Chief! You didn't think I'd let you go through all that alone, did you?" Blair smiled gratefully at the older man, his heart missing a beat at the love he could see in Jim's sky blue eyes, "Thanks, man. I appreciate it." "Maybe you should call your grandmother and tell her you're coming?" Simon suggested. Blair cleared his throat, "I guess I should," he replied, forcing his eyes away from his lover's with a regretful sigh. "Use my phone. It'll allow you more privacy than the bullpen. We can wait outside," Simon rose from his chair. "Thanks, Simon. Actually, I'd like Jim to be here... If that's okay with you, man." "Sure, Chief." Simon nodded, understanding Blair's need to have his best friend with him. "I'll be with Rhonda." Once the Captain left his office, the young man took a deep breath. "Ready?" Jim queried softly, caressing his lover's silky curls after checking to see if the blinds were closed. "As I'll ever be, man, as I'll ever be..." Blair dialed the number written on the letter and listened to the ringing until finally a female voice answered on the other end, "Hello?" "Uh, hi. Is this Anna Sandburg?" "Yes, who's speaking?" "It's Blair." "Blair!" she sounded extremely happy to hear from him. "I see you got my letter." "Today, yes." "Are you coming to visit us?" the voice on the other side seemed uncertain all of a sudden. Blair nodded, although she couldn't see, "Yes." "Good! How about you come next Saturday? How long can you stay?" "Saturday's fine. And I can stay for two weeks. Would that be okay?" "Excellent! And Naomi?" Anna's voice wavered as she mentioned her daughter's name. "She's in Brazil right now, I'm not sure I'll be able to reach her. But I'll leave a message with some of her friends." He could hear Anna's sad sigh clearly, "Oh, okay. I'll be waiting for you then." "Uh, Mrs. Sandburg?" "Anna, please. What is it, Blair?" "Can I bring a friend? My partner's on vacation and..." "Of course he can come!" she interjected and Blair could almost feel her smile through the line. "I'd be more than happy to meet your partner too," there was a pause. "Blair, thank you. I know it would've probably been easier to ignore my letter than to have to face this. It means a lot to me." "It's okay. So, exactly where is Wolf Point and how do we get there?" Blair queried, causing Anna to laugh. They spent the next few minutes making all the necessary plans until Blair finally nodded. "Okay, I think I have enough information. See ya Saturday, Anna. I'll call later and let you know what time we'll be arriving." "Right. I'll be waiting. Thank you again, Blair. Bye." "Bye." Blair hung up and sat down with another shuddering breath while Jim called Simon back. Once he was back inside, Blair faced him. "Simon, will it be okay for Jim to take the next two weeks off? I mean, I know you said yes, but we didn't actually agree on when he could take the..." "Blair," Simon interrupted the nervous babble, his tone soft. "It's okay, I already said yes. But I expect you two to finish up all the late paperwork for the rest of the week," he remarked with a smirk. Jim muttered something unintelligible, rolling his eyes, but he was grinning at his lover. Blair was unable to stop from grinning back, ignoring the fact that they were both in the middle of Simon's office looking like complete fools. "Hey, Beavis, Butthead! What are you two still doing standing there?! Back to work, gentlemen!" Simon resisted the urge to roll his eyes as his best team suddenly began to laugh like the cartoon characters. "Oh, brother!..." but he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his control. "Shoo!" With a final smirk at his mock-glaring Captain and friend, Jim followed Blair out to the bullpen. Time to drown in paperwork. ----------------------- Wolf Point turned out to be in Roosevelt County, Montana. They arrived a little after lunch and decided to rent a truck to drive around town. After driving twice through the same block, Jim swore under his breath. "Can't find the right street. We'll have to stop and ask for directions." "There's a restaurant," Blair pointed out as the sidewalks were deserted. "We can ask there, Jim." They parked the truck and walked inside the establishment. Being mid-afternoon there was no one around, with the exception of two men who seemed to be caught in a heated discussion. "You can't do this, Bill!" one of the them, a young man about Blair's age, snapped angrily at the other one. Bill turned around and faced the young man, "Look, Shane, I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want to just quit on you, but I can't do this anymore. I just can't." "But you can't leave, damnit! I have no one else to take your place, especially on such a short notice! I can't run the restaurant by myself!" "I know, and I wish it didn't have to be this way. But I have my own family to think about. This place is sinking to the ground and you know it, Shane. Sell it to Boyden and end this once and for all! You know he'll give you a good price for it!" "No!" Shane growled in frustration. "This restaurant was my parents' dream and I am not going to give it up to that bastard without a fight!" Bill shook his head sadly, "You can't fight him forever, Shane. Boyden's already winning. People are scared to come here. Boyden has been threatening to do some hurting if anyone dares to eat here. You know the crowd is getting thinner by the day! And then there was the poison in the milk we had delivered, the brick someone threw from a passing car that almost killed that little girl sitting beside the window... Give it up, man. It's not worth it." Having said that Bill left, leaving Shane standing dejectedly in the middle of the room, eyes looking down desperately at the marble floor beneath his shoes. Jim cleared his throat, "Excuse me?" Shane turned to them and for the first time the two partners got the chance to have a good look at him. He had wide jade green eyes and long, curly hair that ended just below his shoulders, so dark it had blue highlights shining on it. Shane threw them a suspicious glare, "If you're working for Lewis Boyden, you better just turn around and leave. He's wasting his time. I'm not selling this place!" "We don't work for anyone. We just came to ask for directions and couldn't help but overhear. Is everything okay?" Shane sighed wearily, "Yeah, I guess. Bill and I were the only ones working here at the moment. I cooked, he waited tables and did the dishes. Don't know how the hell am I going to manage tonight without him... I'm sorry, you have nothing to do with my problems. Where do you want to go?" "Anna Sandburg's house." Shane's face lit up with a huge smile, "Anna? Now, there's a classy lady! She and her husband are some of my best customers! Come on, I'll show you how to get there." He took them outside and explained the way. As it was, they weren't that far away. Thanking the young man and wishing him luck, they went in search of Blair's grandparents house. --------------------------- Jim parked in front of the Sandburgs' house and turned off the engine. They stayed silent for a moment, just enjoying each other's company, thankful yet again at having been brought together. Jim held one of Blair's hands gently, lacing their fingers together. "Okay?" he asked softly, his tone one of concern. Blair smiled a little shakily, "Yeah. I'm a little nervous, I guess. I can feel the proverbial butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I don't know how to react, man, I never had any other real family besides Naomi." "That's to be expected, Blair. You never met them, don't know what they're like... Just be yourself and everything will be okay," Jim reassured, squeezing the hand he was holding. Blair smiled lovingly at his partner. "Thanks, man. For the support, for being here, for loving me... I don't know if I would've been able to do this on my own." Jim returned the smile, "Yes, you would. But I wanted to be here with you," he stated. Without caring who might see, he brushed his lips tenderly against his lover's full ones. "Love you. Now come on, Chief. Time to go." Blair blinked to clear the sudden fog in his mind, then took a deep breath. He grabbed the bouquet of red roses they'd brought for Anna, got out the truck and moved to the beautiful white house, his lover right beside him. Blair rang the doorbell with some trepidation, bouncing slightly on his feet as they waited for the door to open. The man who answered the door was about Jim's height, with a slight frame, and about the right age to be Blair's grandfather. Chocolate-brown eyes blinked at them from a gaunt face surrounded by snow white hair. "Yes?" "I'm... uh, Blair." For a moment the man tilted his head in confusion as if he couldn't place the name, then his face contorted in rage, "What the... Anna! Anna! Where the hell are you?!" The two partners looked stunned at each other, even as Anna Sandburg appeared at the door. She was smaller than her husband, quite petite in fact, with a head full of salt and pepper curls and deep blue eyes. It was easy to see who Blair took after. "What's the matter, Joseph? Oh... Blair?" The young man nodded, suddenly uncertain. There was something quite not right going on there. Anna smiled and it was Naomi's bright, happy smile, "I wasn't expecting you until later tonight!" she told them, as she hugged them both warmly. "You must be Blair's partner." "Jim Ellison, Ma'am," he nodded, and she chuckled. "God, don't call me Ma'am, makes me sound old!" she laughed loudly, her eyes shinning with amusement. "Anna is just fine." Jim was powerless against her exuberance, "Okay then, Anna. We managed to catch an earlier flight. I'm sorry, we probably should've warned you, but we didn't have the time." As he spoke, Jim moved closer to his lover in a protective stance. After that initial outburst, Joseph Sandburg remained silent, standing by the door as he watched his wife greet the two of them. And if looks could kill, both Jim and Blair would've been six foot under in less than ten seconds. "Here, these are for you," Blair gave her the roses with a smile. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, smelling the roses for a second in obvious delight. "They're beautiful! Thank you so much!" Still unaware of her husband's reaction to the newcomers, Anna whirled around to face him, her joy plain for anyone to see. Another thing she and Blair seemed to have in common, very expressive faces. "It's Blair, Joe," she chirped. "It's our daughter's son!" "I have no daughter!" Joseph Sandburg growled, glaring at them. "What the hell were you thinking woman?!" "Joseph, please!..." "No! I don't want him here, any of them! And you'd better not be bringing this subject up again! Nao... my daughter died thirty years ago." He stormed inside the house, somehow managing not to slam the door behind him. Anna turned to her grandson, all joy gone from her eyes, only pain shining in their depths now, "I'm sorry, Blair. This is all my fault. He wasn't expecting you, I didn't tell him you were coming. I thought that if he just saw you..." "It would make things easier," Blair understood her way of thinking. "Yes. But I think the shock was too great. You shouldn't have gone through that, my child. I'm so very, very sorry!..." Blair tried to force a smile, "It's okay, Anna. At least we gave it a try." She shook her head, "Don't give up on him yet, Blair, please. Let me talk to him, try one more time." "I saw an Inn, Homestead Inn, I think, in front of the place we went to ask for directions. We could spend the night there," Jim suggested. Anna turned her warm blue eyes on him, smiling with gratitude. "That would be a good idea, thank you, Jim. Look, you guys, I'm not saying Joe had the right reaction, and again I'm sorry for what happened. It was my fault, but I've been desperate. I need to end this... hate in our family," her eyes filled with tears. "I can't stand the idea of him dying still mad at Naomi, without getting to know you. I have to do something!" Blair hugged her tightly, "It's okay, grandma," he whispered, and heard her chuckle in his ear. "We won't leave without trying a few more times. I promise." "God... I can't believe I'm hugging my grandson, after all these years," she sobbed softly, her arms tightening their hold. "No matter what happens, Blair, I want you to stay in touch, and I want you to know that I never, ever stopped loving Naomi. She was, is, and will always be my little girl. But as I was saying, Joe's reaction wasn't all his fault, there's much more to this whole story than you know about. Maybe if I tell you everything... it won't excuse him, but maybe you'll understand better." Her grandson wiped the few stubborn tears that fell from her eyes and kissed her cheek, "Okay, how do you want to do it?" "Meet me tomorrow at nine for breakfast at the McKenzie Restaurant. If you're staying at the Homestead Inn, it's right across the street. The owner, Shane McKenzie, is a good friend of ours. We'll be able to talk without any interruptions." Blair and Jim traded amused grins, "Yeah, we've met Shane. Tomorrow then?" "Tomorrow." She kissed her grandson lovingly, her hand caressing his cheek, "My grandson," she whispered, the awe clear in her voice. "My beautiful grandson... I think Naomi did a good job raising you, my child. I'm so happy you are here! So very, very happy!..." Anna's eyes filled again, and Blair hurried to embrace her once more, "So am I, Anna, so am I. See you tomorrow." She hugged Jim as well and then, with a last wave, walked inside the house, leaving the two men there in the entrance staring at each other. "Blair?" Jim looked worriedly at his lover. He wished he could've made Joseph Sandburg behave differently toward his grandson. It must've hurt Blair badly to hear those angry words. He smiled ruefully at himself. He was being over-protective again, wanting to save his lover from pain, wanting to shield him from other's wrong doings. Too bad life didn't always allow it. He'd gladly take on the weight of the world, if it saved Blair from hurting. Blair looked up at the concerned tone in his lover's voice, "I'm okay Jim. Although, that certainly wasn't what I expected!" he huffed. "But the day wasn't a total waste. I loved Anna, and like she said, even if things don't work out with Joseph, I'll always be able to stay in touch with her. And I'm not going to give up hope on him just yet either." "Yeah. Shane was right, she is a classy lady. Come on Chief. Let's go to the Inn and get ourselves a room. And then..." "Then?" Blair purred seductively, enjoying the way Jim's nostrils flared. "Then I'm going to undress you, bathe you, spoil you rotten with a head-to-toe massage, feed you, and finally fuck you through the mattress. Repeatedly." Blair couldn't help but chuckle, "Jim Ellison, romantic extraordinaire!" He almost ran to the truck, feeling some of his sadness easing a bit at Jim's amused chuckle. Things could have definitely been worse. He could have been alone. -------------------------------- At nine sharp the next morning they were at McKenzie's Restaurant waiting for Anna to show up. Since it was Sunday, only two or three tables were full, giving them plenty to pick from. Thinking that the conversation would undoubtedly be emotional, the two men opted for a secluded table by the farthest wall. Shane approached their seats, a happy smile on his face, "Hey, guys! Good morning! Did you find the Sandburgs' house okay yesterday?" "Hey, Shane! Yes, we did. Thank you. How did you manage alone last night?" Blair queried. Shane grimaced. "I was up until 2 am cleaning this place. Thank God I live above the restaurant or I wouldn't even have bothered going home." "That bad, huh? Can't you find someone to replace Bill?" "Not in this town! Everyone's afraid of what Lewis Boyden might do if they come to work for me," Shane shrugged helplessly. "Excuse me, new customers." They watched as he moved to another table to greet a couple and take their order. "That sucks, man!" "Yeah, it does," Jim agreed, his brow creased in thought. "I might pay a visit to this Lewis Boyden guy today. I can't do anything officially, but maybe having someone in his face will make him back off. And the Sheriff's office isn't out of the question either." Blair smiled tenderly, his hand caressing his lover's thigh under the safety of the table, "You just can't help yourself, can you?" Jim didn't pretend to misunderstand. He grinned sheepishly, "I just don't like seeing people being pushed around. If Shane doesn't want to sell, it's his right." "It's okay, Jim. That's one of the reasons why I love you." "Yeah? What other reasons are there?" Jim joked, but before Blair could give him the wanton reply shining in his eyes, Anna walked up to them and sat down at the table. "Sorry I'm late," she sounded a little breathless. "But I ran into Mrs. Davenport. I swear, that woman should work for our local newspaper. She knows everything about everyone!" Shane approached the table as he saw her, "Anna! Nice to see you again! How's Joe?" "Fine," she replied, her smile clearly forced, and Shane nodded in understanding. "And how's everything going with you? The restaurant?" Shane made a face, "You don't want to know, Anna, believe me!" then he smiled again. "What can I get you nice folks?" They ordered breakfast. Jim waited until the young man was out of hearing range to ask Anna, "What's the deal with this Lewis Boyden character?" She frowned unhappily, "He and his brother Tom came to Wolf Point about five years ago. Apparently he had some capital and decided to invest in the real estate business. Pretty soon he was established and ended up staying in our town. I'm not sure he uses legitimate ways to get what he wants, though. There are rumors about blackmail, beatings, strange accidents... and I've always been a believer that where there's smoke, there's fire. About two years ago he decided Wolf Point needed a big shopping mall and set about to buy every building in this block, the perfect location for his shopping mall. According to him, of course." "Isn't this town too small for something that ambitious? You have a shopping mall already, we saw it when we arrived yesterday." "Precisely! We're under three thousand inhabitants and between the mall we have already and the traditional shops, it's more than enough. The worst part is how this is dividing the town. The ones in favor of progress want the new mall, the small business owners are afraid another big surface is going to make them lose clientele. Then there are others, like Shane, whose businesses are their only means of survival." "He really loves this place," Blair observed. "True. His parents died in a car accident last year. This place was their pride and joy, so Shane decided to keep it open. It hasn't been easy though. No one could prove it, but Boyden has tried to sabotage the restaurant a few times. Someone threw a brick that crashed through the window out of a passing car. A little girl was hit with it on the head and nearly died. I thought Shane was going to die of guilt. He almost gave up and closed this place. Joseph and I had a hard time convincing him to keep it going." "Oh, man... Poor Shane," Blair muttered, angry at what money and power made people do. "Anyway, soon after Boyden began to buy the buildings in this block, the rumors about his methods began again. Sheriff Ashwood has been trying to get evidence against him, but no one's come up front and admitted to having been threatened or whatever. And without those statements..." "He can't do a thing," Jim finished for her. "Exactly!" she replied excitedly. "I hate to see Shane go through all this. His parents were good friends to us, we were there when he was born... He's like family." The two partners nodded in understanding. It was hard to see someone go through so many problems while being helpless to lend a hand. Jim thought he was definitely going to have a word with Lewis Boyden later in the day. Anna turned to her grandson, her mind already on another subject, "Blair, I tried talking to Joe again last night, but..." "He didn't change his mind," Blair guessed. She sighed wearily, "I'll keep trying though. I refuse to just give up. I swear, that man's as stubborn as a mule! Something, I might add, he and Naomi have in common! They're so much alike, it's scary." "What's wrong with him?" Blair asked suddenly, in a rather blunt way. Anna turned devastated ocean blue eyes on her grandson, "Cancer," she replied softly, her eyes beginning to mist. "We found out about three months ago. In spite of his age Joe has always been a very active person, he was in very good shape physically. All of a sudden, he began to get tired a lot, even when he wasn't doing anything strenuous. Then came the occasional dizziness, the trouble breathing, weight loss and abdominal pain," she sighed. "Took me nearly a month to persuade him to go to the doctor and even so, I had to force him," Anna shook her head, seemingly unaware of the tears rolling down her cheeks. "By then it was too late. The doctors discovered the cancer in the lung and kidney area, but it's spreading throughout his whole body." Blair tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. He was suddenly grateful for Sentinel senses and the knowing hand rubbing soothingly over his back. Bless you, Jim. "Couldn't he do some kind of treatment? Chemo maybe?" "We discussed it. The doctors told us this is a rare kind of cancer, very aggressive. They said chemotherapy would probably increase Joe's life span for a year at most. That night we had a long talk about it. We knew what chemotherapy did to the human body. Joe decided it wasn't worth it, that he'd rather have three months nearly pain free, able to live a relatively normal life, than having to suffer through that torture for just a few more months. It was a... terrible decision to make, but I couldn't deny him that. I love him. We've been spending these months like we're on a second honeymoon. I want to make him as happy as he can be before he..." she sobbed softly. "Before he dies. And I'll always have these memories, good ones. Not awful memories of Joe connected to some machine, his face contorted in pain. I wanted him to die f-free..." she couldn't go on, crying openly now, so Blair rose from his chair and embraced her, his own eyes shinning with unshed tears. "Oh, Anna..." he whispered. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, that I could help somehow..." She took a shuddering breath and backed away a little, her eyes locking with Blair's, "You are helping, Blair. You're here. I can't tell you how that makes me feel. Thank you," her gaze turned to Jim's as well. "Thank you both." Blair sighed sadly, "God, I wish I'd known sooner, maybe things could've been different somehow." "Blair, what did your mother tell you about us?" Blair gazed into the depths of the blue eyes so much like his own, knowing in his heart that the answer he was about to give wasn't the whole truth, "She said you threw her out when she got pregnant." Anna's shocked gasp was confirmation enough, Naomi had lied to him. "She told you that?! Oh, God!..." "What happened all those years ago, Anna?" She just shook her head, "It's not that simple, Blair. Maybe it was our fault, maybe we did throw her out in a way. Maybe it was because we were parents so early ourselves and we didn't know how to raise a child, I don't know. I'll always regret the way things happened, how they turned out," she sounded incredibly sad and exhausted. "She was never like the other kids her age, you know? Was always too independent, too headstrong like her father. She never listened to anyone, always had to do what she thought was right no matter what everyone else thought about it." "That's Naomi all right," Jim chuckled. Under that easy going way was a strength Jim had only seen in Blair before. It was very deceiving. People saw the hippie and overlooked everything else. A mistake he and Simon had made more than once. "When she was in her teens things got worse. Naomi and Joe fought like cats, always at each other's throats, too much alike for either of them to back down. When she turned to all that hippie stuff, we almost died. You have to understand, we didn't understand that way of thinking, of living. It was too foreign for both of us. We were raised in a very strict environment. And Naomi didn't make it any easier on us. She was never home, and when she did come home it was in the middle of the night. We never saw her with the same boy twice, never knew where she was... Joe found some pot in her room and tried to punish her by grounding her. She escaped by the window and disappeared for days." Jim whistled. He knew Naomi tended to be wild, but this was a surprise. "Then there was the time she got involved in a peace protest and ended up getting arrested for hitting what she called a 'pig'," Anna sighed wearily. "I thought Joe was going to have a stroke when the police called us at 4 am that night. We thought... we thought she was hurt or worse, we were scared out of our minds. So when Joe went to get her, I guess he was a bit too high strung. They had a terrible fight and stopped speaking altogether. The final straw was when she proudly announced she was pregnant and didn't know who the father was." "What happened?" "Joe decided enough was enough. He forbade her friends from coming around our house, locked her in her room and found a local boy to marry her and raise the child with her." "She must've loved that!" Blair smiled. "She broke everything in her room," Anna nodded, sharing the smile with her grandson. The smile vanished as she proceeded. "Then she packed a bag and disappeared. Left a note saying she wanted her child raised in love, not in a place resembling a prison. We tried everything to find her, called everyone we could think of -- friends, relatives... no matter how insane, we tried it. After a while Joe was ready to just about forgive her for everything she'd done and what she hadn't either. Each time we managed to contact one of her new friends she'd already be gone, and after some time we completely lost track of her. We even put ads in some newspapers," she shrugged. "Then we gave up. And little by little, Joe's sorrow over losing her became anger. To a point he doesn't even mention her name anymore. We know she kept in touch with a few of her cousins, it was through one of them that we learned she'd had a son called Blair, but no matter how many times we called and pleaded with them, none ever told us where she was staying." The partners remained silent for a while, digesting what they'd been told. After what was becoming an awkward pause, Anna asked, "Think she'll come?" "I have no idea, Anna. Depends on if she gets the messages I left for her. I hope so." "So do I. The past doesn't matter anymore. I just want us together, I want Joe to see her at least one more time before it's too late." Pulling herself together, she rose from her chair. "I have to get going now, I'm afraid. There's a Town Hall meeting about the mall and I want to be there. What will you two be doing?" "I was planning on going to have a word with Lewis Boyden, but he'll probably be at the Town Hall meeting." Jim told her. Anna chuckled and shook her head, "I don't think so! Shane tried to flatten his face during the last meeting. Even knowing Shane isn't going to be there, I don't believe he'll chance it. A lot of people don't like Lewis. What about you, Blair?" "Well, since Jim'll be busy with Boyden, I thought I might lend Shane a hand around here. What do you think, Jim?" The older man nodded with a smile, "Good idea Chief. I'll meet you here when I get done, 'kay?" "Okay." Anna kissed them both on the cheek, "And I'll come by later myself, to see how things are going. Don't lose hope, Blair. It might not look like it now, but your grandfather is a good man and he'll come around, I promise." The young man nodded, "It's okay. I'm a patient man," he stated, ignoring Jim's amused snort. "I'll wait." And he would. For as long as it took, he promised himself. ------------------------------------- Finding Boyden's office wasn't hard at all. The first person Jim questioned about it as he stepped out of McKenzie's Restaurant supplied him with the directions. The building was one of the most modern ones in Wolf Point. Boyden's office was on the fifth floor. The elevator doors opened into a large hall where Jim spotted a young black man sitting at the reception desk dressed somewhat shabbily for his job. The tight black jeans and Hustler t-shirt were definitely not what Jim thought of as appropriate attire for the receptionist of a company such as Boyden's. "Good morning, Sir. How can I help you?" the young man queried politely. "If you're looking for Catherine, she called in sick today." "Catherine?" "The receptionist. My brother couldn't find a replacement on such short notice, so he called me instead. I'm cheaper too," he chortled, and extended his hand. "Tom Boyden. So, what can I do for you?" Tom was about thirty, tall and well built, with short black hair and warm cocoa eyes. And he was the kind of person you immediately took a liking to, Jim thought ruefully, hoping his brother was just as friendly. Somehow he doubted it, though. "Jim Ellison," he shook Tom Boyden's hand. "I need to talk to you brother, Lewis." "You're out of luck. He and his assistant, Eric, are going to be away the whole day. I don't know where they are. Can I ask what you want with Lew?" "I want to talk to him about Shane McKenzie," Jim replied, not missing the sudden hammering of Tom's heart at the mention of Shane's name. "Something wrong with Shane?" Tom queried, all humor gone from his face. "No, he's fine..." "Thank God!..." Tom breathed softly, his relief obvious even without the aid of Sentinel senses. "...But I need to talk to your brother about his attempts to buy Shane's restaurant," Jim finished. Tom sighed and shook his head, "It won't work. Believe me, I tried that already. I love my brother, but I don't agree with what he's doing. I tried talking some reason into him, but he's obsessed with that damn mall. He won't listen to me. And he won't listen to you either." "I think I'll try anyway." Tom shrugged, "It's your time to waste, man. Try tomorrow around this time, he should be here by then. Catherine will be easy to bypass, but be careful with Lewis' assistant, Eric Bangle. The man's a creep!" "Okay, thanks. Will you be here tomorrow?" "Not if I can help it!" he chortled and Jim couldn't help grin back. "Nice meeting you, Tom." "Likewise, man. Any friend of Shane's..." Jim nodded and left. Since having a talk with Lewis Boyden was out of the question, it was time for him to get to know Wolf Point's Sheriff Ashwood. --------------------------- Shane felt like things were finally beginning to improve for him. Blair's help over lunch was unbelievable -- he was even better than Bill. He cooked, washed the dishes, helped wait tables and still had time to chat with the customers. It was so much more than he could have hoped for. Shane looked up to see Joseph Sandburg at the entrance of the Restaurant, sweeping the place with his eyes. He walked up to the older man. "Hey, Joe!" he greeted his friend with a smile. "How are you?" "Fine, fine," Joseph replied somewhat distractedly. "You haven't seen my wife, have you? We were supposed to meet here for lunch." "She didn't come back from the Town Hall meeting yet. Sit down somewhere and wait for a while. It shouldn't be long now." "What's he doing here?" Joseph pointed to Blair with his head. "Helping out, thank God! He and his friend were here when Bill quit yesterday and today he offered to lend me a hand. Blair has been here throughout lunch and Jim went to have a word with Boyden. I don't know why they're doing it, but it sure feels nice to have their support! I couldn't have made it through the morning without Blair to help me. You sure have nice friends, Joe." "He's not my friend," the older man remarked with a thoughtful expression. "No? But he asked directions to your house yesterday and had breakfast with Anna!" "Has he told you his last name?" "Umm, no. I kinda forgot to ask." "His last name's Sandburg and he's my grandson. Can you ask him to bring me a coffee while I wait for Anna?" Joseph queried, unconcerned of Shane's shocked expression. "Um... sure. He'll be right here." Not two minutes later, Blair was handing Joseph the requested coffee, fidgeting slightly under the old man's unreadable gaze. "Sit down for a minute, will you, Blair?" Blair obeyed, somewhat thrown by his grandfather's soft tone. After the scene the day before, he hadn't been expecting that. He sat quietly in front of the older man, watching as Joseph's curious eyes turned fully on him. "Why are you here?" Blair blinked in confusion, "Because Anna wrote..." "No," the other interjected, his voice still soft. "Why are you here, working here?" The young man turned and focused on Shane for a second, watching as he spoke with a few customers, his face lit by a huge smile, his hands and body moving gracefully as he replied to something being asked. "Because he needs help; because I'm here for two weeks and have nothing else to do; because I hate power hungry bastards like Boyden; because it's right," he shrugged slightly and looked back at his grandfather. "Take your pick." "About my reaction yesterday..." Blair nodded in understanding, "It's okay. Anna told me what happened all those years ago. And I'll understand if you still refuse to have me around, but none of this is or was my fault," He leaned forward. "And I know you probably don't want to hear this, but the Naomi Anna told me about doesn't exist anymore, hasn't existed in a long time. She's not the same person she was then, she's changed a lot." Joseph looked lost in his own troubled mind for a moment. "This isn't easy for me, Blair," he finally said. "What she did... I won't say it was all her fault, I know I'm not the easiest person to live with, but we left hundreds of messages over the years with friends of hers, cousins, uncles, even school colleagues she hadn't mentioned or talked to in years. I don't believe she never got them, even if just a half a dozen. She could've called us and let us know how she was, how you were doing." "I know. And she shouldn't have lied to me about you either. But I know Naomi and I'm sure she regrets it and has been regretting it for most of her life. But we all make mistakes and we're all human, man. And you know, sometimes, no matter how much it hurts, it's easier to live with that mistake than to face it and try to make things better. Maybe she wanted to call and thought you wouldn't forgive her for running away; maybe she was too ashamed of what she did; maybe she didn't have the courage after a while. Whatever it was, you both have to let it go and start over. Please... give us a chance. Give me a chance to get to know you." Joseph's heart melted at the pleading look in the bright blue eyes that gazed into his, eyes that reminded him of his beloved Anna so much. He remembered the pain of not knowing if his daughter and her child lived or died; he looked again at the young man begging to be allowed to know his own family, his own grandfather. Maybe it was time to give his hurt pride a rest and welcome his grandson into his life. "So, what kind of music do you like?" he asked, startling Blair with the sudden change of topic. "Uh... well, most kinds, I guess, just as long as it's good. I have some amazing tapes with music made by some South American tribes, I use them to help me meditate. Um, what about you?" Joseph gave him an unexpected grin, "I'm a Rolling Stones kind of man myself," he replied, and smiled as his grandchild laughed heartily. It was a beautiful laugh, one that lit up Blair's whole face. Once again Joseph thought how much he resembled Anna. And he felt glad of his decision to let go of the past and enjoy his grandson. Now he could die without the regret of never having met his daughter's child, and he knew that after he was gone Anna wouldn't be alone. -------------------------------- When Jim finally arrived at McKenzie's Restaurant it was already mid-afternoon and the place was deserted. He was pleasantly surprised to find Anna and Joseph Sandburg sitting at a table with Shane and Blair, the four chatting excitedly. Blair was positively glowing with happiness and Jim felt his heart miss a beat. No matter how much his partner had dismissed it the day before, the cop knew Joseph's reaction had hurt Blair deeply. He was glad to see that things seemed to be changing between them. "Hey, Jim!" Blair grinned as the Sentinel approached the table. "How did it go?" "Boyden wasn't there. I talked to his brother." "You talked to Tom?" Shane seemed a little flushed suddenly, and Jim noticed with interest that the young man's heart picked up speed as he mentioned Tom Boyden. "Yeah. Seemed like a nice guy." "He is," Anna confirmed. "Nothing like his brother at all. He's been trying to convince Lewis to stop that shopping mall idea, but it's no use." "And the Sheriff?" Blair asked as Jim sat down next to him. "I liked him. He really wants to get his hands on Boyden, but without proof..." "Are you going to try Boyden again tomorrow?" Blair queried, although he already knew the answer. "Yes. I may be out of my jurisdiction here, but I still want him to know someone's keeping an eye on him." Shane smiled, "I don't think it will work, but thank you both for what you're doing." "No need to thank us, man," Blair grinned. "It just gives new meaning to the motto 'to serve and protect.' I serve, he protects," he chortled, laughing out right with the others as Jim groaned at his bad pun. Things were looking good, real, real good. ----------------------- |